SENATE BILL: The Promoting Exciting Senate Elections Amendment (Failed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor: jdb

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senator you have 24 hours to begin advocating for this bill.

[Marokai Backbeat]

From reading this, the gist seems to be abolishing at-large seats and electing all Senators from the Regions?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The only way this would work would be if another chamber were created elected from some kind of proportional or perhaps districts (this time designed to be as far from being similar to the regional boundaries as possible) to create a competing popular interest for the representative of the regions. That would be difficult to establish, however.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

The only way this would work would be if another chamber were created elected from some kind of proportional or perhaps districts (this time designed to be as far from being similar to the regional boundaries as possible) to create a competing popular interest for the representative of the regions. That would be difficult to establish, however.

That's an interesting idea, now that you mention it.  I'd like to hear people's thoughts on that and how it could be implemented.  That said, I honestly am very mixed about my proposed amendment.  I don't know that it is the right solution, but I do think that the way we elect Senators needs to be reformed.  When I wrote this legislation, I thought the process had gotten too hierarchical and sometimes seemed like simply waiting for your turn in line.  Obviously, Senators are elected by The People and no one is entitled to a seat, but you get the point.  Recently, due in no small part to an usually large wave of resignations and retirements (former Senators Oakvale, Franzl, Clarence, Spamage, plus former Senator MattFromVT losing reelection).  That said, I think this wave of retirements and resignations was a bit of a fluke and that some sort of reform needs to be implemented to shake the system up a bit and ideally make it easier for our great body to get some new blood.  I guess right now the biggest issue is that the system feels a little stale.  I'm not saying fix something that isn't broken, but we needn't be afraid to consider changing things.  I am no longer certain that my proposal is the right change, but if it isn't, let's also use this thread to try to figure out what that is.

[MaxQue]

Because Midweest has so much interesting elections...

We had difficulties to find one candidate for a seat, I don't imagine what it would be with a second one.

If someone proposed regions/districts, I would think about it, but regions/regions is an automatic NO.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The only way this would work would be if another chamber were created elected from some kind of proportional or perhaps districts (this time designed to be as far from being similar to the regional boundaries as possible) to create a competing popular interest for the representative of the regions. That would be difficult to establish, however.

That's an interesting idea, now that you mention it.  I'd like to hear people's thoughts on that and how it could be implemented.  That said, I honestly am very mixed about my proposed amendment.  I don't know that it is the right solution, but I do think that the way we elect Senators needs to be reformed.  When I wrote this legislation, I thought the process had gotten too hierarchical and sometimes seemed like simply waiting for your turn in line.  Obviously, Senators are elected by The People and no one is entitled to a seat, but you get the point.  Recently, due in no small part to an usually large wave of resignations and retirements (former Senators Oakvale, Franzl, Clarence, Spamage, plus former Senator MattFromVT losing reelection).  That said, I think this wave of retirements and resignations was a bit of a fluke and that some sort of reform needs to be implemented to shake the system up a bit and ideally make it easier for our great body to get some new blood.  I guess right now the biggest issue is that the system feels a little stale.  I'm not saying fix something that isn't broken, but we needn't be afraid to consider changing things.  I am no longer certain that my proposal is the right change, but if it isn't, let's also use this thread to try to figure out what that is.

Actually the turnover rate for the Senate has been rather high for months, and the recent pattern has been something of a continuation then something new. Remember Simfan? sbane lost in October hence how Oakie got here to begin with, BK's expulsion, Scott became Governor, Clarence resigned hence how Franzl got here, Marokai and Julio weren't here that long, MoPolitico got expelled back in April/May, and yet another Marokai term ended abrubtly in March of last year under rather unfortunate circumstances.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I think the current system is more representative of the electorate, to be honest. Regions with smaller populations shouldn't be overrepresented if we can help it. What we've got now strikes a decent balance.

Now, if we eliminated the at-large seats in favour of districts... I'd be more receptive. The districts would be pretty equally-sized, so the problem of overrepresentation would be eliminated.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Most of the parties do a horrendous job at screening candidates. In fact, most don't screen them at all from what I have gathered, which is why we keep electing inactives over and over who just resign halfway through.

The only party that did was The People's Party, that glorious entity, and with its death came death to half the senate. Rest in peace, sweet prince.

[MaxQue]

I don't think parties are screening, they are pretty much willing to run whiever wants to run, since there isn't so much people wanting to run for Senate.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So are there any amendments here or is this basically done then?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Wouldn't this make regional Senate elections less competitive than they already are?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Unless we have a second chamber, elected on proportional basis, this amendment is abhorrently undemocratic.

MaxQue is right regarding problems about filing just one regional seat. Scott made a good point about decreasing competitivity as well.

We have problems, but that is a horrible way to solve them. It would only make things worse.

We need to come up with something fresh rather than trying to do something with already broken project like this.

Motion to table.

[MaxQue]

Unless someone comes up with a way to fix that amendment, I'll vote to table it, by the way.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I'd vote to table it, but I'd kinda rather just vote it down outright.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It would be far quicker just to vote this down on a Final vote whereo nly four votes are needed to kill it, than it would be on a Motion to Table where seven are required.

[MaxQue]

Hence why I didn't seconded the motion to table.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Then I'm withdrawing my motion and calling for a final vote because it's really not going anywhere.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The underlying Amendment is now at final vote, Senators please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Nay

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Nay

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Abstain

[MaxQue]

Nay

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Nay

[Napoleon]

Abstain